Picture viewing device



April 12, 1949.

J. .J1 DlLKs HCTURE VIEWING DEVICE Filed'OCt. 24, 1945 INVENTOR.- Jal/resi iY/hs,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 12, 1949 UNITED STA@ 'r ortica 5 Claims.

This invention relates to devices useful in viewing pictures, i. e., more particularly to pictures cir-cularly arranged on disk lms or like transparencies.

The aim of my invention is to provide a device of the kind referred to which is simple in construction; Which lends itself to manufacture in quantity at small cost; which is operable to present the pictures individually and successively for viewing; and which permits ready and quick interchange of film disks.

How the foregoing and other advantages are realized in practice will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a picture viewing device conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows the rear view of the device with portions broken out in section to expose important details which Would be otherwise concealed. n

Fig. 3 is a staggered vertical section of the device taken as approximately indicated by the angled arrows III-III in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical section drawn to a larger scale and looking as indicated by the angled arrows IV-IV in Fig. 2.

As herein illustrated, my improved picture viewing device comprises a support 5 which is substantially circular in configuration and fashioned from sheet material, preferably metal, with a bottom segmental portion 6 thereof turned rearwardly at right angles for the purpose of forming a stiffening flange which is centrally notched as at 1. Passing axially through the support 5 is a stud shaft 8 with a head 9 at its front end and with its rear end rotatively supported in the rear wall of a rectangular housing component lil likewise fashioned from sheet material and secured by screws II' to the back of the support, said housing forming with said support and its ange 6, a complete enclosure. As shown, the housing component I has a pendant projection I2 which extends down through the notch 'l in the rearwardly turned segmental portion 6 of the support to serve as a grasp handle.

Secured to the stud shaft 8 directly behind its head 9 its a circular plate I3 which constitutes the rotative mounting for interchangeable disk films such as the one indicated at D having thereon a series of circumferentiallil-arranged piotures P. The film disk D is centrally apertured to snugly t over the head 9 of the stud shaft 8 and also has an eccentric aperture to similarly fit over an eccentrically-disposed locating stud I on the mounting plate I3. As a consequence of this construction and arrangement, the film disk D is prevented from shifting rotatively relative to the mounting i3 incident to successive presentation of its individual pictures P, in a manner presently explained, at a window I6 in the support 5 above the housing I0, said window having a screen I'I of plain glass or transparent plastic held in place at the back of said support by a small aperture frame I8. At the region of the window I6, the disk film D is held to the front surface of the plate I3 by a clip element I9 lined across its top and down along its sides with padding of felt or the like 2U to bear directly against said disk.

In line with the window I6 in the support 5 is a viewing lens 2| the barrel 22 of which is axially adjustable in the anged opening 23 of an overhanging arm-like sustaining projection 25, fashioned by stamping or otherwise from relatively stiff springy sheet metal. At its top the member 25 has a down-turned flange portion 26 through which it is permanently secured to the support 5 together with the glass retaining frame I3 and the clip I9, by means of rivets 21. The bottom end of the member 25 is moreover clevised as at 28 to straddle the head 9 of the stud shaft 8 and at that region lined with padding 29 to yieldingly bear against the lm disk D and thus keep in place on the mounting I3.

The means provided for intermittently rotat-r ing the mounting includes a ratchet wheel 3U which is secured to the stud shaft 8 within the housing I U, and which has as many teeth as there are pictures P in the film disk D. Freely fulcrumed on the stud shaft 8 in the interval between the back of the support 5 and the ratchet Wheel 30 is an actuating lever 3| which projects outward through a vertical slot in one end of the housing l0', and which carries a pawl 32 for engaging said ratchet. Also cooperative with the ratchet is a detent 33 for preventing retrogression of the disk mounting I3 after each rotative shift imparted thereto by the action of the pawl 32. As shown, the detent 33 is pivoted on a small underlying arm 35 which is fulcrumed on a stud 36 anchored in the support, said arm carrying a stop 3'I for said detent. A helical tension spring 38 connected at one end to the pawl 32 and at the other end to an upstanding lug 33 on the stop arm 35, serves not only to maintain said pawl and said detent in yielding engagement with ratchet wheel 30, but to normally maintain the actuating lever in raised position against a stop indicated at 40.

In use, the device is grasped in one hand by the handle l2 and the disk intermittently rotated through downward movement of the actuating lever 3l by the other hand, so that the pictures on the film disk D are successively presented for viewing at the window I6 in the `support in a manner readily understood from the drawings. The nlm disk may be removed from the device simply by springing back the lens supporting arm so to allow it to clear" the head 9 of, the stud shaft' 8f and the locating stud I whereupon it canv be slipped edgewise olf its mounting. The mounting of a substitute disk is accomplished simply by reversing the above procedure whicnoperation is facilitated by outward rounding of the ends of the bifurcation at the bottom of the projection 25l ing plate on the support for a film disk having.V

circumferentially arranged pictures; means for preventing` shifting of the lm disk relative to the backing plate; means for intermittently rotating the plate for presentation, of the pictures of the film disk successively at a window in. said support; andretractable means connected to theA support for yieldingly pressing said filmdisk to hold it-inplaoe on said plate.

2. A pictureI viewing ydevice accordingto claim4 1, whereinthe support is provided witha single radially-extending. elongate grasp handle.

3. A picture viewing device according to claim 40 1, wherein the means for intermittently rotating the lmdi'sk mounting includes a ratchet wheel,

an actuating lever freely fulcrumed on the axis of the mounting and carrying a pawl for picking the ratchet wheel; and a detent on the support for holding the ratchet wheel against rotrogression in successively shifted positions.

4. A picture viewing device comprising a support; a rotative mounting on the support for a film disk having circumferentially arranged pic tures; means for preventing shifting of the lm disk relative to the mounting; means for intermittently rotating the mounting for presentation of the pictures of the film disk successively at a window in said support; a viewing lens; and an overhanging projection connected to the support for sustaining the lens in line with said window, and: for keepingV the film disk in place on the mounting.

5L A picture viewing device comprising a supporti; a. stud shaft with bearing in said support; a mounting for a lm disk with circumferentially arranged pictures secured to the stud shaft, said lm diskhaving` an axial aperture to tover the end of said shaft; cooperative means. for preventing shifting of the lm disk relative to the mounting; means for intermittently rotating the mountingthe presentation ofthe picturesy of the llmr diskv successively at a window in the support; and a retractable overhanging armlike pro.- jection connected to the support, said projection being springy and adapted to yieldingly press upon the disc film in the region ofY its center. tov

keep itin position on said mounting.

JAMES J. DILKS.

REFERENCES CITED4r The'following references are of. record in the file of this patent:

UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

'725,682 Doeg Apr, 21, 1903` 2,189,285 Gruber Feb. 6, 1940 

